What Once Was Lost
by Jonathan Anubian
Summary: During the war on Cybertron a Refugee ship was attacked by the Decepticons. After escaping the pods landed on earth in the 21st century, ages later. Both Factions rushed to find the pods, hoping to recruit those within in order to end the war in their favor. This is an OC-centric story-line set on Earth with details taken from G-1 and Bay verse.
1. Prologue

Alarm sirens blared overhead, the sound instilling panic in all those who heard it. The walls rocked violently again, almost sending the two trembling femmes to the metallic floor. Helping the smaller one to keep her balance the larger of the two looked down, green optics alight with worry. When the shaking finally stopped she pushed away from the wall, urging the other along the corridor in haste as the sound of gunfire and explosions echoed down long halls, making her spark pulse erratically in it's casing.

"We have to hurry." Keeping a hand on the smaller, trembling, femme she gently pushed the other toward where she knew they would find at least some safety from the madness that had now overtaken the ship. Behind them a sudden yell made them stop, terrified, as two mechs turned a corner, guns at the ready. Wrapping herself around the other she waited for the scorching feeling of pain, but none came. Either luck or providence saved them once again as the floor above them buckled and caved in on the two mechs, separating the two groups.

"Siren!" Looking down into terrified violet optics she smiled as reassuringly as she could, despite the fear that rocked her own frame. Frightened tears streamed down her face as she tried to keep calm.

"It's going to be okay. Come on, we're nearly there." It was only by sheer force of will and the need to protect her only remaining family that allowed her to reach the Pod Bay on the ship. Going straight to the first pod she opened the door and hustled the other femme inside quickly. Waiting by the door of the pod, guarding the smaller Cybertronian inside, she waited for as long as she felt she could before she, herself, got inside and locked the door behind her.

Luckily neither of them were particularly large and the pod certainly could have fit more of their species inside, but she was afraid. Afraid that one of the boarders would find them and haul them out. Getting a message on the crew comm channel she relaxed slightly. The signal to evacuate had been tripped and others were on their way to their location. Sitting back she pulled her younger sister to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"We're going to be okay." Nodding the smaller femme leaned into her chest, tears still streaming down her face as they huddled together.

It didn't take long for the Pod to register the others around them being activated and she shushed her sister again, glad that she didn't need to use the over-ride program she had been given for emergency separation from the ship.

"Don't be scared Melody, I'm here for you." Hearing the smaller femme begin to hum to herself she rocked the both of them back and forth, taking comfort in the sound of the music and the closeness, just as her sister did.

As soon as the escape pod registered the Crew Shuttle launching it quickly detached from the ship, programming activating and slowly putting the two femmes into a stasis mode in order to preserve energon. It would be a long time before they would see anything but the vastness of space.

[...]  
Getting a stream of real time feedback from the other communications officer on the command deck the mech knew they were in a heap of trouble. Not just the regular kind either, as the situation devolved to one of almost total panic. Putting out fires and trying to repel the invaders wasn't going to help matters now. It was too late for that.

Flicking through comm channels he listened to the rowing reports of engine failures and grumbled with anger.

 _'I could use some good news!'_ Heading back towards the command deck he dodged past cowering refugees, busted plating, and a couple fires that were either being extinguished by civilians or other crew members. Feeling a tug in his very spark the mech's attention shifted away from all outside distractions, pushing him to look inward.

 _'Tough, because I have none. The order to Evacuate has been given. The Captain wishes us to lead as many civilians as we can to the pods and take the Command one for ourselves. It... he said it is his last order as our Captain.'_ Stopping dead in his tracks he keened miserably in denial.

 _'Do not fight orders. I will start my retreat now. I will meet you on the way.'_ Passing the raw feeling of loss, despair, and misery along the bond he felt the same emotions echo back and shuddered, knowing that they both felt the same about the current situation. Suddenly the link dimmed as his other half turned his attention elsewhere. With a sigh of anguish the white, black, and gold mech took a moment to gather himself before turning and going back the way he came. Finding the refugees he'd passed before was no hard task, seeing as they hadn't moved from where they were, probably from fright. Most were a cowering mess, either too scared to move, or just unable to process what was going on around them.

"Alright! Those of you who want the chance to continue living, get on your feet! I am Communications Officer Link, and I will try my utmost to lead you to safety." Yelling loudly down the corridor he was relieved when, as soon as they understood his words, most of the refugees stood. The look of hope on their faces wanted to make him cringe, feeling inadequate to defend them if they were attacked. But he would do as ordered, no matter how frightened he was on the inside. Calm and love filtered through the bond and he felt himself relax, confidence building.

Walking over to a mech who hadn't been able to stand he reached down and helped him to his feet. Trying to reassure him that everything would be fine. As soon as he did, however, another mech came forward to take the injured one from him carefully.

"Y-you'll need to be able to move unhindered if you're to lead us..." Was all the mech said. Nodding grimly he walked past the refugees, who parted before him, before checking that the next junction was safe.

Leading the refugees as best he could he sent two of the strongest down the corridors and back, gathering any refugees they could find and heading toward the escape pods. Avoiding any battles they came across, sometimes outright shutting doors and dooming others to their fate, he looked back at those he was leading and spotted the smallest forms, huddling together in fear. Gathering his resolve he hardened himself, feeling encouragement from his other half as he went.

Just before reaching the escape pods he felt his spark ripple with that feeling of once again being whole. Turning to a closed door he quickly put in the codes to open it from his side and relaxed as he spotted his black, white, and gold counterpart.

 _'The Captain has chosen to stay with the ship in order to give us as much time as possible to escape. He... he wished to speak with us when we got the refugees settled.'_ Nodding toward his brother he turned back to his group and got them organized. Femmes and the young were the first to get into the pods, with anyone strong enough to defend them volunteering for the task and going with them.

As soon as everyone was situated they got into their designated command pod and shut themselves in. Feeling safe they linked their comms and pinged the Captain.

::Link, Cipher; my sons. I want you to take care of these people. They didn't ask for this Smelter cursed war and neither did you. I am staying on the ship to give you as much time as you can to escape.:: Both keened in denial, finally able to let their emotions show.

::Creator-Caretaker! It's suicide to stay on the ship. Please, we still need your guidance!:: Cipher sent back, pleading with the older mech to not leave them behind. Hearing a ragged chuckle from the comm Link looked down at his feet, hands clenched together; knowing their Creator's decision.

::Keep safe, and Primus watch over you. You have always made me proud.:: With that the comm went dead, blocked from the other end by the one and only mech that had ever loved and understood them. Feelings of hurt, loss, pain, and sadness passed between them as they clung to each other in the pod. Compassion, comfort, and understanding echoed back and forth, trying to stop the pain in their shared spark.

Reaching a shaking hand toward the control panel of the escape pod Cipher input the code to release all the pods and follow the command pod, which held the only long range SOS signal. Locked in the silence they curled into each other to grieve their loss as the programming took over and launched them from the ship.

Feeling the drain all of the previous excitement had on their systems the pod quickly initiated the stasis mode in order to keep them from using up too much energon. Completely oblivious to the world around them they floated through the cosmos with the other pods.

Only one major incident occurred during that long trip through space. A wandering cluster of asteroids hit the pods, knocking out the long range SOS. So still, they wandered the dark void.

[...]  
Watching the monitors and sensors the mech on duty choked as two small crafts entered Earth's atmosphere nearby, hurtling out of nowhere. The sensor reading said they would land in a couple hours, not a lot of time to arrange a welcoming the scanners hadn't picked up their distress signal before now was a mystery to him. Turning to the console to try and get a better reading on their trajectories he hailed the commanders.

::I'm sorry to disturb your meeting, but I think you had better come take a look at this.::

[...]  
Blinking cold eyes at the screens the mech behind them followed the pods as they entered earths atmosphere. It was clear they were not from earth as their signal and make was clearly Cybertronian. Making quick calculations he commed their leader directly.

::Lord Megatron. There are two escape pods from a Cybertronian vessel coming toward the surface of the planet. It will take approximately two-point-three hours to arrive. Query; what are your orders?:: Waiting for a reply he followed the two vessels carefully.

::I will arrange for a team to reach the closest pod. Continue monitoring the situation. Tell me if anything changes.:: The reply he received was cold, but excited. Nothing knew from their tyrannical leader.

::Affirmative.::


	2. Welcome to Earth

Standing in the main communications room, looking calmly contemplative, Optimus Prime watched the screens before him. Crossing his arms over his broad chest he waited while his second in command made some tactical calculations using his advanced battle computer. The room was quiet as the gathered mechs optics flicked between the screen and their SIC.

"There is a ninety-three percent possibility that the Decepticons have also caught on to the signal and will be sending out their own search party to try and retrieve the pods. We must act quickly." Glancing down at his second Optimus nodded. As a leader in a centuries long war he had learned long ago to trust the advice of those under his command. They were all capable and loyal mechs who wanted peace just as much as he.

"Who do you suggest we send for retrieval?" Looking mildly thoughtful Prowl turned his optics to a wall and seemed to be debating something internally. A moment later he had an answer.

"We will need two parties. A short range extraction team and a long range extraction team. I suggest you take Ironhide, Bluestreak, and Hound with you to the nearest crash site. While Jazz, Mirage, Cliffjumper, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe head to the second crash site. I expect there will be a bit of trouble." Taking a moment to think about his tactician's words the leader of the Autobots nodded. Over the comm he radioed the two teams and called them to assemble for a mission. There wasn't much time before the Decepticons caught on to what was happening and sent out their own troops. Megatron might have been a megalomaniac but he was still an intelligent and dangerous foe.

"Is there a possibility that these pods're a trap?" Jazz asked, turning to Prowl. Their optics met and for a moment and neither moved. Prowl finally shook his head.

"I don't see how they could orchestrate such a thing. The signal being used is that of a Civilian vessel, which hasn't been seen in millennia. There is an eight-point-three percent chance that this is a Decepticon trap. But it is highly unlikely." Optimus listened to his second and third speak over the probability of a trap and smiled beneath his mask. In their own way both were trying their best to ensure that everyone was safe.

"Even if there is a slim possibility that this is a trap we cannot take the chance. There might very well be innocent civilians in that pod, Cybertronians who will need our help." He said to the room in a decisive tone, breaking up the discussion neatly.

"Then I also suggest we alert Chief Medical Officer Ratchet. Whoever is in those pods might be injured, and the retrieval team might also need medical assistance if they meet with resistance from the Decepticons." Nodding his agreement he left Prowl to alert the medbay there might be injured coming in and headed toward the outer bay, where his mechs should be assembled and waiting.

"So, what is it now Boss-bot?" Asked one of the twins behind Ironhide, who gave them a critical look as if that might encourage them to behave. Over the years they had learned some of the more colourful language used by the humans, as well as some of their bad habits. Ironhide turned as if to say something but was interrupted by Optimus clearing his throat. With every mech's attention on him their leader straightened, looking stern.

"We have no time for games. A Civilian vessel launched its escape pods, which have somehow ended up here on Earth. I don't think I have to explain to you why we must be the ones to get there first." Looking each mech in the eyes he could see their expressions harden. Optimus felt that twinge in his spark that always accompanied a mission briefing. Again the leader of the Autobots cursed the mega-annums long war as mechs who should have been living normal lives fell easily into the mindset of veteran warriors.

"Ironhide, Bluestreak, and Hound; you are with me. We are going to retrieve the pod nearest the base." He stated simply. Jazz nodded to those remaining, motioning them to follow him. Optimus did not envy him his mission, it was sure to be far more dangerous.

"Alright Autobots, let's roll out."

[...]

A good distance from the crash site Bluestreak found cover and hid with his rifle, scope trained on the shuttle and the surrounding area; wary for any Decepticon trap. Looking to his Prime he nodded once and motioned that he would stay behind and provide long range support. Optimus patted his shoulder and peered at the surrounding area, still wary of an ambush.

The shuttle itself was a simple thing, although quite large. It was clearly labelled as the Command Shuttle, which meant that the Command Crew of the Civilian vessel should be inside.

"Aren't shuttles like this one supposed to power on and open when they find a suitable place to land?" Asked Hound, looking slightly concerned. Optimus nodded, his own concern growing. The shuttle was banged up pretty good, dents and scratches covering it more than the paint. It was impossible to read the name of the ship they had come from, but they had other ways of getting that information.

"Do you think you can open it manually?" He asked Hound quietly, while Ironhide scowled at the shuttle; still wary.

"There should be an emergency panel in case of malfunction. Let me see what I can do." Said the smaller mech as he began to circle the shuttle. It was far too large for their team to take back to the ship at present. They would have to send a larger group out next time to take it back to base. The metal alone would help with repairs and the emergency supplies inside would be much appreciated if they were to be taking in Civilians.

A moment later Hound had finally found and detached the panel from the shuttle. Activating the emergency release he took a moment to copy some of the information from the shuttle's computer. Optics wide he returned to Optimus in time to see the door finally slid open. The grinding sound from the misshapen metal making him cringe slightly.

Guns trained on the door they waited, eyes locked on the dark innards of the shuttle. If this was some sort of trap it was far too elaborate for the Decepticons. Megatron preferred the direct approach, though his strategies and tactics were often clever and diabolical.

"The shuttle computer informed me that those inside have been in Stasis for... Primus... Ages. The power in the shuttle was on its last fumes. Any farther and the shuttle wouldn't have made it..." Optimus glanced back at Hound and frowned.

"Life signs?" Nodding Hound motioned that there were two life-signs, though the computer didn't seem able to decide whether it was one or two. However the green mech chalked this up to age and lack of energon.

Optimus sub-spaced his gun and slowly walked toward the shuttle entrance, though Ironhide hissed at him that he would go instead. Climbing inside he saw the two Cybertronians bodies immediately. Huddled together and clearly in the first stages of reboot. Their frames were newer, not damaged or seeming long used. Their faces were young and their small bodies supported the idea that they were civilian crewmechs. One of the two made a crackling sound that a human would have mistaken for a groan. But it was the sound of vocal processors long un-used beginning to cycle again. It was usually something that happened when a mech had been in a coma for a couple of weeks or more.

Shifting, amber optics shuddering to life, the white mech disentangled himself from the black mech and tried to stand on his own.

"Easy there, you have been in stasis for quite some time." Reaching out he gently steadied the younger male, who peered up at him in confusion. It was clear the mech did not yet recognize him for who he was, but Optimus was glad. He did not want to cause the waking mechs any undue strain. A couple minutes passed and he seemed to get his feet properly underneath him, though he still looked a little unstable. Eventually the amber optics seemed to focus on him and for a moment fear passed across his face. It was only when his optics trailed down to the Autobot insignia that he began to relax again. Clearly these civilians were aware of the Decepticon threat.

"Wh-where are we?" Asked the white mech, reaching up to fiddle with an earpiece that was obviously a communications receiver. Both mechs lacked the thick armour plating most of the Autobots had taken to wearing long ago. Neither were warrior builds and by the way the mech was trying to cycle through comm channels he would hazard a guess and label them as Communications Officers.

"You are on a small planet called Earth, in what the sentient species of this planet call the Milky Way Galaxy." Although he nodded upon hearing this information Optimus was certain that the young mech hadn't understood a word of it, his eyes were still dim and although his wobbling had stopped he was still going through a difficult reboot cycle. About to ask if he needed to sit down again the mech under his hands suddenly went stiff, optics wide and worried.

"Cipher!" He suddenly yelped, wrenching away from Optimus and turning to try and wake the still seated mech. Watching the two of them he could sense the distress in the white mech's voice and a familiar feeling fluttered through his spark. It was the same kind of feeling he got around Sideswipe or Sunstreaker when the other was injured.

"L-link?" Sagging in relief the white mech smiled, tears coming to his eyes momentarily before he wiped them away.

"..." A quiet moment passed between them and Optimus realized they were communicating with each other on a personal channel. Perhaps the black one was having trouble with his vocal processor, he thought with concern.

"Wh-what!? W-wait..." Whipping around to gape at the larger mech the white one took in his entire frame, looking completely stunned.

"You're the Prime!?" His voice was filled with excitement, awe in every line in his body. Optimus chuckled, feeling nostalgic at their reaction to him. He had forgotten what it was like to have those in his presence sound awed and humbled just by being near him. Optimus couldn't place their age but he was fairly certain they hadn't been in their adult frames long.

"It was obvious, Link. You just never pay enough attention." Said the black mech from his seated position. Two sets of amber optics locked with one another, one looking unaffected and the other pouting.

"Ahem, I am Optimus Prime," he stated politely, "and you are?" Hoping to keep the conversation polite and casual he tried to steer them toward the information he needed. He could hear Ironhide getting antsy outside and wanted to make sure the mechs continued being open and free to speak to him; without the nigh worship that came from other mechs when first meeting him.

"Oh, I'm Link. This is my twin, Cipher." He said, still reeling from the news that they were in the presence of The Prime.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both." Optimus stated calmly.

"Do you think you can walk without issue? This area is not as safe as I would like it to be, and although I do not wish to alarm you so soon after waking, we are still at war." Seeing their eyes dim in fright at the news he sighed, hating the war and its effects on the young.

"I can help Cipher" Link said, looking serious.

"Our base is a quite far, are you sure you don't need assistance?" He asked softly, the concern clear in his blue optics. The twins looked at each other but Cipher shook his head.

"I will lean on Link for now. I am sure that my systems will finish rebooting soon and I will be able to walk on my own." Speaking plainly, his voice a lot more mellow than his twin's, the black mech leaned against his brother and nodded toward Optimus.

"Let's head back to base." Optimus said to the two waiting outside of the shuttle.

"Anywhere is better than this stuffy shuttle." Link said with a shrug. Cipher just frowned at the ground, his energy flaring with emotion.

"This pod saved our lives, Link. It should have held more of us." He stated tersely, making his twin frown as pain flashed across his features.

"Come, we can discuss what you wish to do now when we get back to the base." Optimus spoke gently, understanding that they must have been through a traumatic experience and were still trying to cope with the pain. Who knew what happened just before the two fell into stasis?

[...]

Standing near their leader, gun in hand and eyes on his surroundings, Soundwave watched the Air Commander out of the corner of his eye, ever wary of his schemes and constant betrayal. The small ship itself was easily identifiable as a shared crew escape pod and he could feel the excitement of those around him as if he were swimming in the sensation. A sense of calm filtered through his symbiote bond and he took a subtle breath to relax himself and focus on the task at hand. He was certain the Autobots would be by at any moment to try and sabotage their efforts.

"Hurry it up, you bucket of bolts." Grumped Bonecrusher to Hook, their voices carrying over from somewhere behind him. Feeling a sense of alertness he turned his attention to the bond and knew that Lazorbeak had spied their Autobot enemies heading their way.

'Report.' Turning toward their leader with the information gathered by Lazorbeak he was acknowledged immediately.

"The Autobots will soon engage. What are your orders?" The malicious grin from the tank Cybertronian was enough to send any of the lower ranked Decepticons scurrying away. Even he got a small shiver up his spine and couldn't help frown, though with his mask in place it was impossible to see.

"Starscream!" Snapped their leader. If Soundwave hadn't hated the jet because of his constant betrayal and obnoxiously screechy voice he would have felt almost sorry for him. Once a prominent scientist he had been lured to the Decepticon cause with promises of power, unlike himself.

'Master, do you want me to distract them?' Sending a negative he gave the order for Lazorbeak to stay hidden and report the enemy's movements. Soon the trio of jets took off to engage the Autobots, probably a couple of strafing shots to keep them occupied while they finished hauling the pod out of the large crater.

"Everything's set here." Stated Scrapper, his voice barely reaching where Soundwave was standing. A few orders were given and the call to retreat was made. Sending for Lazorbeak to return he turned his back on the sounds of battle in the distance and headed back to base.

[...]

"Pit, I can't get a good shot in!" Cliffjumper growled to Jazz as the twins tried their best to wrestle the Decepticon jets to the ground. With the twins in the way he wouldn't dare try blasting them out of the sky. He might have been rash, but he wasn't crazy.

Mirage suddenly appeared at the saboteur's side, shaking his head sadly.

"I was able to come upon them unnoticed, but they had already procured the pod and their numbers far outweigh our own. The Constructicons are with them, along with Soundwave and Megatron. I dared not allow my presence to be uncovered." Jazz cursed under his breath.

"We need to retreat." Jazz stated, his face grim. Cliffjumper glared at the Decepticon trine as they finally started heading back toward the Nemesis, leaving the Autobots behind.

"Primus have mercy on whoever is inside that pod."

[...]

The first thing she was aware of when she finally woke was the small form half curled in her arms. A moment later she was grabbed and forcefully dragged out of the escape pod into a blurry room filled with menacing forms growling at her. All of her instincts told her this was the worst possible situation and she scrabbled to keep the smaller form with her, held against her chest protectively. Unfortunately neither of them were finished their reboot cycle and they both fell to the cold, dark, metal floor. A couple minutes later and her green optics finally cleared. Once she was able to look at her surroundings she dearly wished this was some sort of horrible nightmare and not reality.

"Finally awake, are we?" Asked the hulking, menacing, mech before them. Siren trembled in fear at the amusement laced malice in the voice. It seemed he wasn't actually looking for a vocal response so she just nodded her head, continuing to hold her sister to her.

"Chains." Stated a separate mech in a high pitched and almost whiney tone. Out of the shadows of the room a couple of rough looking mechs wrenched her sister from her hands and pulled her out of reaching distance. Straining against them she tried desperately to protect the smaller femme as her sister was still groggy and not quite aware of what was happening to her. But she was soon overpowered and her wrists were shackled together and attached to a long chain on the floor. Presumably this was so they could not try to run away. Why they had not shackled her feet she had no idea.

"My, my, my. Look what we have here. I don't think I've seen a femme for quite some time." Smirking as his optics trailed over her body, then slid over to Melody's, she couldn't help but wrench at the chains. Nearby another mech waited impatiently as the first sat down on a large throne.

It was at this point that her processor finally finished booting up and she recognized the face and voice of the mech on the throne. Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, the one mech she had never wanted to lay optics on in person.

"Designation, Function, Faction, and Occupation." Stated the second in that screechy voice. Siren glanced around the room as covertly as she could. Two larger mechs, the ones in power, and a lot of smaller rougher mechs, probably lackeys. All of them had the sigil of the Decepticons displayed and she knew she couldn't afford to disobey their orders.

"Siren, Medical, Civilian Crewmember, and fully certified Surgeon." As red optics lit up in surprised glee she felt something in her inner workings twist uncomfortably. This was a very bad situation, and it could only get worse.

"We have need of medical personnel; you will do well here." Speaking as if he were talking to a mindless automaton he sounded quite pleased. Siren felt as if thousands of tiny creatures were crawling beneath her armour while he stared at her. Then those red optics turned toward Melody and she felt as if her spark had stuttered. It seemed that Melody had finally finished her reboot cycle and was watching everything with this almost serene expression, though Siren could see that she was too scared to stand.

"Melody, Entertainment, Civilian, Singer and P-Performer." Siren watched Megatron frown and her insides twisted further. The Decepticons were a brutal army of bloodthirsty murderers. They had no need of the finer things, for entertainers. Green optics turned back to her sister, not knowing what to do.

"We have no need of entertainers here. We-" Screeched the flyer beside the throne. Although Siren didn't recognize him she could only guess that he was the Wing Commander, Starscream, she had heard about from the security personnel aboard the Valixar. He was about to speak again when that dark voice rumbled through the room, absolute and intense.

"Silence Starscream. She might be useless in our war against the Autobots, but she could be useful in other ways..." His optics slid over the smaller femme again and Siren finally knew what had disturbed her so much about them. If, as they said, they had not seen a femme in quite some time then she and Melody were in an even worse situation than she had initially thought.

"Take the smaller one to my chambers." Said the mech in charge, waving his hand regally at the lackeys hiding in the back of the room. Making a choice Siren stiffened, waiting for them to get closer. Non-combat medic she might be, but she was armoured for defence and armed with the tools of her trade. Before anyone realized what she was doing she summoned a laser scalpel to cut the chains binding her and body-checked the first mech, sending him crashing to the floor as the code she implanted in him instantly took hold.

The moment the other mech went to attack Siren initiated an area wide Medical Lockdown. Rather than aiming it at one mech she sent it out in a pulse; stopping all the lackeys in their tracks. Some of them must have been prepared for her to do something as they, alone, remained standing. The rest fell to the ground, unable to move.

"Don't you dare lay your filthy hands on my sister!" She hissed as she stood defensively in front of the smaller femme, who was looking up at her with awe and concern.

"Sister is it?" Rather than the anger she had been expecting the large mech steepled his fingers and sounded almost contemplative. Realizing that her attack had not worked on the Decepticon leader she used the medical codes as they had been intended and aimed them at him alone. But Megatron didn't even blink. Somehow her medical codes could not penetrate whatever protections he had. Unless he didn't have any protections and had just deleted the coding that allowed him to be put into a recharge cycle while being operated on. As the realization dawned on her Megatron gave her a haughty smirk. Slowly those around the room began to stir, being able to break the code with time. Confused and scared Siren knew she would have to talk fast if she wanted them both to stay alive and unharmed.

"As you can see I am not just some simple field medic that was thrown out onto the battlefield. I have all of the knowledge gained from going to the best universities of Iacon. I'm not some scared civilian who will bow and scrape." Flicking her other hand another tool of her trade appeared. This time it was a large saw, one made for getting past tough armour to the internals within.

"If you want me to work as your Surgeon then I want protection for my sister. If not, then I will gladly end our lives here and deprive you access to medical personnel." True to her word she turned the scalpel toward her sister and the saw to her own chest. One look at her face was all it took to know she was not bluffing. At the very least she would be sure to kill her sister as quickly as possible, so she wouldn't have to suffer through torture or worse. It didn't matter if she was captured afterward, she would cut off her own hands than help the Decepticons.

"You show a lot of courage for a civilian." Megatron stated as he stood from his throne. Taking a few steps toward the two he stopped when Siren's eyes hardened further. It was clear to anyone with half a processor that she would go through with her threat if provoked.

"Work willingly as our Surgeon and I guarantee your sister's protection. Work against us, sabotage our efforts, and I will make her life the living Pit before crushing her spark chamber with my own two hands. Understood?" Warily she lowered her scalpel and nodded. She didn't know how much she could trust the others but she had heard that Megatron, even while being a violent and merciless mech, never went back on his word. He considered it to be an absolute and so had always done exactly what he said he would do. If it were in a less megalomaniacal and deranged mech she would call that kind of trait a good thing.

"Escort the smaller femme to the cells. Harm her in any way and it'll be the slag heap for you. I honour my word." Megatron barked at his soldiers as Siren subspaced her tools and relaxed her body from the defensive stance she'd taken earlier. Melody looked up at her, pleading violet optics begging for her to stay safe, before she was lifted from the ground by two grumbling lackeys.

"You are to report to the Medical Bay immediately." Turning toward her own escort she started walking out of the room when Megatron's voice filtered over to her once again.

"And remember; if you sabotage us in any way; I will end you both. Her, before you." Without turning back to acknowledge what he'd said, her own sort of defiance against the leader of the Decepticon army she had now been forcibly conscripted into, she left the room with her head held high.

'Stay strong, Melody. I'll find a way to save us. Somehow...'


	3. Enemies and Allies

Optics trained on the large screen the black and white twins looked equal parts hopeful and worried. After a scan of the surrounding galaxy they had found more and more escape pods, all heading toward the little blue planet known as Earth.

"If the Command Beacon was still active our entire trip through space then it seems more than likely these are all from the Valixar. We had eight-hundred and seventeen people on board the ship. Twenty-five of us made up the crew. But when we were attacked only about half of the escape pods launched. I can only conclude that those sparks were lost." Cipher spoke calmly, his face now an emotionless mask. Link, on the other hand, was hard pressed to keep his emotions from erupting from him as he clenched his hands at the memory of their caretaker's ship.

"The one about to land is larger than the others, it might be a Supply pod for survivors, or one of the Crew pods. The Core of the ship would have also been ejected, carrying the Crew Dossiers, the last footage of the ship before being destroyed, and the list of every Civilian who came aboard. " As Cipher continued to speak the Autobots watched the calculated descent pattern.

"Autobots, we have some planning to do."

It took less than an Earth hour for them to formulate a plan and decide which pod to go after. Link and Cipher were at least fifty percent sure that the smaller pod didn't hold any passengers. If they could fix up the Command Shuttle they would be able to know for sure, since the shuttle had a sensor that recorded the life sings of every pod. For now the Autobot elite decided that the larger pod had more of a chance of life forms and planned a quick retrieval with a group of heavy hitters for defence. They did not want a failure like last time.

[...]

The fierceness of the Autobots defence of the pod caught the Decepticons by surprise. Although they had sent a good assault team they were met with a large group of enemies and were quickly beaten back. During the initial attack Scrapper got a sniper round to the chest, compliments of Bluestreak. Panicking over their leader being injured the Constructicons quickly retreated, leaving the other Decepticons to fend for themselves. It was safe to say that they had failed to retrieve the pod. Although they found no resistance when retrieving the other one, which they soon realized held a sizeable amount of supplies that the Decepticons sorely needed.

[...]

When she finally awoke from Stasis her first instinct was to look inward, toward the important bond she knew would be there. As soon as she felt those two sparks next to hers she calmed considerably. While her systems slowly came to life after such a long time she began to sense the confined space around her. Even if the pod could have held a few more of the crew she felt her wings twitch in frustration. The winged ones were never meant to be contained.

 _'Windrider, Lightstrike, are you undamaged?'_ Hearing positive echoing responses from the two beside her she sighed in relief.

 _'What about you Azurewing?'_ The calm voice of her Second in Command kept her steady as her optics finally came to life and she could feel her voice slowly returning.

 _'I'm fine.'_ She replied as evenly as she could, trying to force down the encroaching panic she felt at being in such a confined space. Now that she could see she was able to assess the other two with her own optics and ensure that they were fine. That, and the fact that the other two would panic if she broke down, made her stay confident and steadfast.

 _'Let's see about getting out of here. Striker, if you would?'_ Knowing the nickname would keep Lightstrike in a more playful mood she motioned toward the door. Focusing all her attention on the door the yellow Cybertronian grabbed at the handle and tried to push, but it wouldn't budge. Azure already knew that the power had died out, it was probably why they had awoken in the first place. The pods had emergency Protocols in case of a power loss.

 _'It won't budge...'_ Azurewing could feel the panic rush through her bond and fought to keep it at bay.

 _'Then why don't we try breaking it. You're good at that, Striker. Go ahead.'_ With permission from her leader given Lightstrike whooped and crashed her foot hard against the middle of the door. When it didn't budge she looked confused, before grumbling and trying again. Windrider gave her a bland look, not impressed.

 _'Lightstrike, hit it near the handle.'_ Suggested the ashen grey femme beside her. Taking the suggestion to heart the yellow femme pulled back her foot and rammed it into the door just under the handle. The door shifted but didn't open. The panic rose and Azure had a hard time fighting it back down again. Even the oft calm under pressure Windrider didn't like this situation and was beginning to feel trapped. Their shared bond only compounded the problem.

 _'We'll ram it all together. It won't be able to stand up to our combined might.'_ She said firmly. Feeling sparks calm and become determined Azure quietly, where the others wouldn't overhear, hoped that her idea would, in fact, work. If not she was certain they would all lose control.

 _'On three. One. Two. Three!'_ With a powerful shove, and the might of three larger than average warrior femmes, the door finally burst open.

Azure would have been happy, if she were not now falling to the ground with Lightstrike below her. Tucking and rolling onto her wings hurt, the sensitive sensors scraping along the ground, but she ended up in a kneeling position with her hand on her blaster; ready for anything. On her left Windrider had done the same thing, her twin blades already in her hands as she scanned the area calmly. Meanwhile Lightstrike was laying on the floor, unable to correct herself in time and currently lying flat on her face.

Azure saw the mechs that surrounded them and felt a chill run down her frame. However Windrider, the most observant of the three, noted the insignia on their frames and gave the Okay.

 _'Looks like we're in good company... I think.'_ Slowly taking her hand away from her blaster Azurewing stood in the presence of the Autobots, her green optics steady. Deep in her spark she could feel the instinct to protect her two companions with her whole being as the Autobots kept guns trained on them.

"Windrider, help Lightstrike." She said aloud, so the Autobots understood what her Second was going to do.

"Affirmative." Looking over the assembled mechs Azure's eyes finally fell on the Prime and she felt as though his eyes could bore through to her very spark. Without hesitation she gave her Prime a salute.

"Azurewing, Security Chief of the Valixar, leader of the Atmos Trine; at your service." For a moment no one moved. Then someone from the back finally said what everyone seemed to be thinking.

"A Trine of Femmes!?" This made her stand straighter, her wings hitching upward slightly, offended at the tone the lone mech had taken. Seekers were proud warriors, especially Seeker femmes who had just woken up inside a cramped escape pod and had a hoard of mechs eyeing them as they finally succeeded in getting out.

"Please excuse us for greeting you this way. I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots." Azure nodded, trying to check on the two to her left while also giving Optimus her full attention.

"Are you okay Lightstrike?" Windrider asked in that toned down, nigh monotone, voice. The yellow femme stood and stretched out, happiness pouring from her now that she wasn't confined in the tiny space.

"I'm fine~" She chirped in response, grinning at all of the mechs around them. Some of them were even smaller than her, but none of them were flyers. Azure could feel her disappointment.

"I understand, my Prime. We are in the midst of war, I would be just as suspicious. However you have nothing to fear from my Trine. We have long decided that helping the Civilians escape from the violence is our top priority." Speaking for the three of them, as was her right, she continued to eye the mechs who still had their guns trained on them. She was certain that Windrider would be memorizing their faces in order to watch out for trouble later.

The Prime seemed to notice how uncomfortable she was and glanced over at his mechs who still had their guns raised.

"Stand down, these three are not our enemy." Azure heard someone mention flyers usually being the enemy and she had to take a deep breath to keep herself from falling into a defensive stance. She was in front of their Leader, she would not disgrace the name of Vos.

"Perhaps we should brief you on what has happened since you fell into Stasis. I am certain you would like to speak with your fellows again as well." At the mention of others she felt her Trine mates turn toward the new Prime.

"Fellows?" She asked.

"Their names are Link and Cipher, they were a part of the Bridge Crew. We found them not long before we found you." Optimus answered as he turned toward a door leading further inside what Azure assumed was an Autobot base.

"I am glad they are safe. Their Creator-Caretaker was quite worried about them..." Unable to finish her sentence she flashed back to what she felt was mere minutes ago.

"They will probably want to know what happened. I wish I wasn't the one to have to tell them." Optimus gave her a faintly quizzical look as her Trine followed him, surrounded on all sides by his mechs.

"Their Creator-Caretaker did not make it off of the Valixar. He sacrificed himself for the safety of all the Civilians under his care. He was a mech I respected very much." Keeping her optics forward, so she would not have to express her sadness, she felt her trine mates echo her feelings, but also share in the comfort of their bond.

From then on no one spoke as they were led through the halls and into the base.

[...]

Walking through the dark halls of the Decepticon lair she wondered if any of them had any sense of subtlety. Everything was sharp spires and dark metal, low lighting, and it seemed as if there were a couple of nasty leaks that needed to be taken care of. It was no wonder most of the mechs she passed looked worn down and half-deactivated. Try as she might she couldn't help but feel as if she had to fix them. It was her core programming and something she felt all the way to her spark. A pacifist unless she or her family were threatened Siren would give aid to anyone who needed it. At least, until the Decepticons decided that you were either for them or against them and had begun targeting neutral medical personnel. She had been lucky that the Valixar needed a proper Surgeon on hand. With her original background as a femme who dealt entirely with Sparklings she had been able to secure a position for her and her sister on board the last civilian ship leaving the planet. Unfortunately the fighting had come farther than they thought and the ship had been caught up in the raging tide of war.

"Hey, optics forward you!" The mech behind her stated, pushing her roughly. Doing as she was told they reached the Medical bay and the first thing Siren noted was just how messy it was. Without prompting from her 'guard' she quickly went inside the room and stared at the space as if suddenly struck dumb.

"What'r you-" The mech wasn't able to finish. Turning back to the doorway she glared, her green optics filled with cold fury.

"Out." She said menacingly. Stopping in confusion the mech was about to take another step forward when she broadly motioned toward the room in all it's disgusting glory.

"How do you expect a proper medical professional to work in such a space? Look at the sad state of affairs of these tools, they haven't been properly cared for at all. It's no wonder you all look so grungy. Does no one know how to properly clean anything? Augh, just get out so I can do my job!" Walking over to a wall where there were at least some clean supplies she began the long process of properly sterilizing and cleaning every tool while simultaneously organizing everything as it should have been. By the time she was done the first third of the room the Guard was standing outside, looking confused and trying not to cringe every time she stormed over to a new section and started angrily mumbling again.

When she was finally finished she looked around the room and smiled to herself, proud of her work. It looked like a proper surgical room and triage station now that she was finished. If an emergency arose she would have everything she needed in order to properly care for the wounded. Since she was so preoccupied she didn't even think to wonder how the tools had become so filthy and uncared for in the first place, until she heard a rough voice behind her.

"What in the Pit did you do to my engineering bay?" Stiffening, not realizing she would be sharing the medbay with someone else, she slowly looked over at the mech who had come inside. Standing as if the world should bow at his feet, not far off from the attitude his leader seemed to have adopted, was a green, purple, and black mech with a red visor over his optics. Glaring at her he walked over to the tools she had meticulously cleaned and sniffed at them, as if offended. Siren said nothing, not quite sure what actions would be taken as Sabotage.

"I was tasked by your leader to work here as a Medic. Part of my job is to ensure that the tools and Medbay are properly cleaned, organized, and ready for an emergency." It was the truth and an excuse all at once, one she hoped would work with the snobbish sounding mech as he strutted around the room she had taken great lengths to clean properly.

"Listen hear you, I am the Chief medical officer of this ship and I expect to be obeyed, do you understand? I want nothing but perfection." Siren was, unfortunately, unable to respond as the mech suddenly stalled. Worried she would be blamed for the mech's strange behaviour she backed away, keeping him in her sights as he grabbed hold of a tool tray. His hands shook ever so slightly as a team of similar green and purple looking mechs dragged one of their own inside. Energon flowed from a gaping hole in his chest, armour singed and crumbling from blaster fire. Instincts kicked in and Siren hurried to help the mechs lay the patient down on the operating table as she assessed the damage.

"What happened?" The visored mech asked bluntly as he tried to get a better look at the damage. From the reactions, and colour scheme, of the surrounding mechs Siren assumed they were either a specialized team, related, or bonded together in some way. Although she had never heard of more than two Cybertronians bonding outside of a Vosnian Trine. It had been an important part of their training, discerning Bond mates from subtle clues and ensuring that they remained calm while their mate was being tended to. Then again in a proper hospital they would not have been allowed inside the surgery room until they were given the all clear.

"It was a surprise attack, came out of nowhere. We were trying to get to another escape pod, but they beat us to it." As they were speaking Siren noticed a spike in energy and peered closer at the wound. In horror she saw a crack along the Spark Chamber and knew that they would have to act fast.

"I need to properly seal this crack or we're going to lose the patient. You are compromised." Practically shoving the mech out of the way she used anaesthetic and energy pulse monitoring codes to keep the patient from flailing around as she worked on the highly delicate area. Nearby she could sense that the mech's fellows were holding him back, watching her work.

Time seemed to stop and simultaneously fly forward while she worked. She didn't remember the last time she had performed such an important surgery, but she performed it exactly as she had been trained. By the time she was finished the mech was in recharge, his pain eased for the time being. She sighed and stepped away, wiping her hands on a clean piece of cloth.

"Make sure he gets plenty of rest and conserves energon. Damage to the Spark Chamber takes a long time to recover from." They were lucky she had been here, she thought as she began cleaning the tools once again.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a blur coming toward her, but couldn't stop it as it connected with her neck. The mech with the visor clenched, making her vocal processor fizzle and pop.

"Never shove me in my engineering bay again. Do you understand? Lord Megatron might have put you here, but you answer to me." Squeezing once more he let her go before stalking over to the other mechs. Leaning over the table she coughed and checked for any damage to her throat. Other than a little bit of strain she was perfectly fine.

It was lucky for her that the mech left with his team, as she had no desire to be alone with him again. Shaking she tried to calm her nerves by finishing the job she had started. Not too long after someone else wandered into the room.

"Hook, I can't move my arm. It just suddenly went dead." This time the one to enter the medbay was a highly annoyed Seeker. Hoping to stall any hostility she put on her professional smile and walked right up to him, reaching for the limp appendage.

"Can you tell me what happened? What you were doing before the injury?" She said politely as the Seeker just sort of blinked his eyes at her and subtly moved away from her touch.

"I'm the Medic your Leader conscripted, I assure you that I am a proper medical professional and will do nothing to harm you." She said as she reached for the arm slowly, lifted it, and tried to discern what was wrong.

"Come, sit down. I'll take a look to see if it might be loose screws or some malfunctioning hydraulics." Leading him inside she realized that he might be more surprised by the medbay being clean, than by her being there. Sitting down he turned his attention to her and finally spoke up.

"I was sparring with my Trine mates when I blocked a particularly strong blow. After that I just couldn't make it move." His tone was quiet, not quite polite, but definitely not the same rough response she had gotten from the other Decepticons so far.

"Hmm. Let me take a closer look." Standing in front of him she lifted the arm again and examined it more thoroughly. Moving up the appendage she reached his shoulder and had to lean over him to see into the joint.

"It looks like you have a leak in one of the hydraulic lines." It didn't take long to fix something so small. Especially since she was far more used to working with Sparklings, who were very tiny compared to adult mechs. When she finally stepped away the Seeker lifted his arm and his eye ridges raised in surprise. It seemed as if his arm was working better than it had before he'd been injured.

"You also had some loose screws and twisted wires, I fixed those as well. Maybe I should start Physical Examinations. I don't believe..." Stopping she blinked and realized she hadn't even gotten the name of the mech she'd be sharing the Medbay with. Turning to the Seeker she coughed gently.

"Do you mind if I ask you an unprofessional question?" Looking at her with suspicion he slowly nodded.

"There was a team of five in here earlier, all green and purple, one of them had been damaged. The first one I met stated that this was his engineering bay?" She asked, trying to be delicate but knowing she was far too obvious. Melody was the one who could talk to anyone, she was just the one who put Cybertronians back together. She didn't really have to talk with them much outside of being polite.

"The Constructicons. Hook is who we usually go to for repairs." With a bit of relief that the Seeker had answered her question her shoulders relaxed slightly and she smiled.

"I'll try to remember that name. I hope his team-member gets the rest he needs." She said offhandedly as she tidied up, needing something to do with her hands.

"Is there anything else you need? Don't hesitate to tell me where you are having problems. I don't like sending half fixed mechs out of my medbay." After a few moments of silent contemplation the mech explained all of the issues he'd been having lately. By the time she was finished fixing all the small things that had gone askew over the course of the war she wondered just how the Seeker had kept functioning. Perhaps time and constant battle had numbed some of the sensations.

"How do you feel now?" Standing up from the table he walked around, flexing different joints. Siren watched him quietly from the corner of her eye. Although she was still in Decepticon territory, and a prisoner, she somehow found herself feeling comfortable around the Seeker. So far he had been the most pleasant person she'd met. Hopefully there were at least a few more like him. If not polite, then at least not rough or rude.

"Better." Was all he said to her. Of course she didn't really expect a thank you, he was a Decepticon after all.

"Good. If something acts up again please feel free to come back here. Your leader was... adamant that I work to the best of my abilities." Giving her a nod he took another moment to contemplate her quietly before finally leaving.

 _'Strong silent type, huh?'_ She wondered to herself as he felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth. That feeling didn't last long.

A string of other mechs, hearing the news that there was an actual medic on base now, decided to show up practically all at once. Half of them scoffed at her, making rude remarks about her being a Civilian, while the other half eyed her frame in ways that made her face want to burn with anger and shame.

"Alright, that is quite enough!" She said with all the authority awarded her by sheer self confidence and the knowledge that their Leader himself had commanded her to work there.

"Form a queue outside and wait until you are called." When a couple of the mechs tried to argue she pulled out her scalpel. It shined under the lights, looking deadly sharp, as it should be. Pointing it at the chest of the first mech she fixed him with a level stare. She had not been cowed by their leader, what made them think she'd cower before mere rank and file soldiers?

"If you have the strength to complain you obviously aren't damaged enough to need medical attention. So either form a queue outside, that means a line by the way, and wait your turn or I will expel you from this medbay myself." Although Siren was a femme, and at least a head shorter than most of them, she was compact and heavily armoured. Her creator-caretaker had been an Enforcer in Iacon and had taught them how to defend themselves. While her sister had quit training in order to become an entertainer Siren had continued to learn self defence just in case. This was definitely the moment to use it.

There were a lot of protests but in the end she got her way. Funny what refusing service and shoving a sharp object in someone's face could do. Getting to work she performed basic diagnostics on each of them and got to the heart of the more important injuries. Since she didn't have time to work on them all the way she had the first mech she decided that she would make up a roster for appointments and allot time to each mech. Since she hadn't received any medical files she assumed none of them had any, and would have to start from scratch.

When she was finally finished with the last mech she practically collapsed into a nearby chair. The stress and anxiety of working in a hostile environment, where one mistake could cost her not only her life but the life of her sister, was draining her energy faster than usual. She couldn't remember whether she'd had energon before their frantic escape from the Valixar.

"Hey!" Looking up at the guard, who'd come inside the room, he motioned at her with his gun. Frightened she quickly stood, confused.

"You've been working for seven Planetary Cycles. Shifts over." Roughly he handed her a cube of energon and motioned for her to walk ahead of him again. Drinking the energon slowly as she walked she felt some of her strength returning. Sub-spacing half of the energon she wondered if anyone here had given her sister any. Although Megatron had promised her safety Siren couldn't trust that she would be properly cared for.

"Down here." As they walked she tried to memorize the path from the medbay to wherever they were keeping Melody. If she wanted to plan an escape she would have to know her way around.

Deeper into the base they came to a particularly heavy door. The guard punched in a code and the door unlocked, opening to reveal large, empty, cells.

 _'It's a prison!'_ She thought with disgust. It wasn't very far until they stopped before a cell and Siren laid eyes on her sister, looking a little gloomy but unharmed. Rising gracefully from her place on a bunk bolted to the wall she took a step forward but was stopped by the guard.

"No, you stay there." Opening the cell he pushed Siren inside, nearly making her trip, before he reactivated the shield. As soon as the guard walked off Melody practically rammed herself into Siren's side, hugging her tight. Returning the hug just as hard she smiled as all the fear and worry she'd felt over her sister fell away.

"Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?" Shaking her head Melody let go and sat down; patting the spot beside her. Sitting next to her sister Siren sighed as the exhaustion finally hit her all at once.

"We're going to be fine. They might be big nasty brutes but they haven't hurt me." Tugging her sister's shoulder Melody pulled Siren down so she could rest her head on her lap. Humming a tune their femme creator-caretaker used to sing to them as Sparklings she began to gently stroke Siren's head. It wasn't long until her optics closed and she fell into recharge. They had survived the first shift. Now all she had to do was keep it up until they could find a way to escape.


	4. Meetings

"Speaking"  
'Thoughts'  
'Bonded Thought'  
::Comm::  
[...]- POV Break

The interrogation room was smaller than she would have liked. Her wings trembled almost imperceptibly at the thought of being locked inside the small space but she was able to keep any discomfort from her face and posture. At the very least she knew that her trine was safe. The Autobots had allowed her to see where they were to be kept while she was in interrogation. The cells were quite large and her trine mates had been placed across from each other, so that they visual confirmation that the other was safe. Azurewing was grateful to the Autobot high command for their understanding and pleasant treatment. Growing up in Vos and being raised in the military she understood protocol. With the added stress of the war, a war in which most Seekers had joined the Decepticon side, she knew that she and her sisters would be looked upon with suspicion.

Eventually Prime himself came inside the room. She could hear a few weak protests from outside, probably his commanders trying to dissuade him from being in a room with someone possibly dangerous. But the fact that he was coming to speak with her himself eased some of her fear. Azure would be the first to admit that she was proud. It was her pride, skills, and determination that had gotten her this far in her life and she knew that at times it could be a problem. So to see none other than their Prime coming to speak with her also assuaged her pride and allowed her to calm considerably.

"My Prime." Inclining her head politely, since standing to salute the mech might be seen as a hostile action by those outside, she remained poised, her green optics not leaving his deep blue. Pulling out the other chair he sat across from her, polite yet professional as he returned her greeting.

"I am Optimus Prime, as you well know. Although you have already introduced yourself would you tell me your designation and function again?" It was framed politely enough, a simple inquiry, but Azure knew she was also being tested for any deceit. Taking a deep breath she met his optics almost defiantly.

"I am Azurewing, Security Chief of the Valixar, leader of the Atmos Trine, and former Captain of Vos."A spark of curiosity shone in the Prime's eyes as he digested this information. Azure hadn't been some low ranking soldier, after all. How she had become a security chief on board a civilian vessel was a fairly long story.

"How did you come to be the Security Chief aboard the Valixar?" Unlike the stuffy military leaders back on Cybertron she could at least somewhat tell what the mech across from her was feeling and was surprised he wasn't more wary of her and her trine. Especially all that had happened. Then again she had no idea how long they had been asleep in the pods.

"It is a long story, but I believe I can sum it up. Would you prefer I start at the beginning of my career? Or before the War began?" Optimus contemplated her words carefully. It was odd. She had heard that he was young to be Prime and yet the mech she saw before her looked older and wise. Either his position had aged him or the war had.

"Start with why you left the Vosnian military." Azurewing sighed, he had not chosen an easy starting point for her. The fall of Vos was still fresh in her memory.

"When the war broke out most of my Seeker brethren wished to follow the Decepticons, as did one of my trine." Though she was certain it would make the Autobots wary of her and her sisters she knew she could not lie and keep their personal views a secret. If it came out later and she had not spoken she was sure it would cause a rift between the Autobots and her trine.

"My other trine mate wished to join with the Autobots, leaving it up to me as their leader to choose. I saw what both sides stood for and what both sides had done and I chose what was best for my sisters and I. I chose to follow my military training and my Spark. I chose to protect Civilians." Her green optics burned with her conviction as her hands clenched before her.

"After the fall of Vos everything became a confused mess. There were no more Commanders to obey, no more military structure. I took my trine and aided in evacuating civilians to a safe location. Eventually we were recruited by the captain of the Valixar. He'd heard about our willingness to help and needed warriors to protect his ship. I asked him what his cargo was and the moment he told us he was evacuating civilians my decision was made." In the very short time she had met with, and joined, the captain's crew on the Valixar she had come to respect the mech. It made his death and the death of the crew all the harder to bear.

"You spoke of Link and Cipher, I am overjoyed to hear that they survived." Her posture relaxed, though her hurt hadn't lessened. She had promised the captain to look after his twins if he could not and she took that promise very seriously.

"Yes, they were found shortly before you. They were still in shock from what happened but are unharmed and have been a great help." Azure nodded, glad to hear they were safe and uninjured. Optimus' head turned slightly, probably receiving a message via the comms. A moment later he smiled at her.

"The twins have verified you are who you say you are and your trine will be released." Azure returned the look with a polite nod and smile of her own.

"We'll debrief you on the situation and what you've missed later. For now someone will escort you to your trine. The twins are eager to see you as well."

[…]

Dragged out of her cell after a time, perhaps a few days she wasn't sure, Siren wa brought back to the medbay to continue her work in patching up Megatron's psychotic soldiers. Leaving behind her sister had been spark-wrenching but she had no choice. It was either work herself to exhaustion or risk her sister's safety. Her own health was of no real concern to her, she was far stronger and more physically capable than Melody. The worst of her stress was caused by Hook and the few times he had appeared while she was working. Someone must have told him to leave her alone since he didn't interfere with her, other than to growl and glare.

Every once in a while she would hear the door open and turn to greet whoever had come through only to falter at the damage. Siren was a surgeon and highly trained but she was still not prepared for the sheer brutality warring mechs showed their enemies. A lot of the time she would receive a baleful glare when she asked what had happened, or cussed at before she could put her patient under in order to work on them. Not a one of them had any medical records and she had to slowly compile them herself, a monumental undertaking. If she had been in a hospital in Iacon an assistant would have been documenting the procedures and writing the reports for her. She was also disgusted to learn that Hook had been performing experiments on his fellow Decepticons with no medical background whatsoever. Some of the things the mech had put them through were absolutely barbaric.

Engineering was all well and good but there was a lot more to being a medical professional. One had to learn the many anaesthetic codes that would keep a patient from feeling pain, the anatomy of the many different kinds of Cybertronian, and proper procedure just to name a few. Hook neither understood nor respected her practices. She was glad that he had been warned away from her, probably by one of their commanders.

"Where are you injured?" She asked the mech who came into her medbay next, trying to keep her tone as neutral as possible. Some of the mechs had reacted badly to her more polite speech and mannerisms so she had begun to ask as bluntly as possible in order to get things over with. The soldiers seemed a lot less wary of her when she was blunt, and more prone to do what she said if she was abrupt with them. At first she'd been afraid to raise her voice or use her anger but after she'd had two screaming matches with separate mechs she realized that the medbay was her domain. As long as she was fixing up the soldiers and her methods worked she was allowed to order them around. Only once did she have to ask the guard standing outside the medical bay to intervene and that had only been because the mech in question was becoming violent and her out-dated codes would not work to shut him down.

A few of her scheduled appointments appeared and she set to work making sure they were all back in working order. She'd had to clear the shifts with the higher ups, an acutely disturbing couple of moments, but she was allowed to go over each mech for maintenance and repair. The fact that those she fixed felt even better than they had before the war was a testament to her skills and the care she put into each mech. With undivided attention on one mech at a time she was making Megatron's warriors stronger, something she knew she would regret.

What bothered her was just how worn down all of them were. The damage had been adding up for what had to be millennia. Just how long had she been in stasis? Sitting down for a break when the last mech left she pulled out the energon she had saved before and sipped on it carefully. When in the cell with Melody she had seen them hand her a cube of her own so she knew that her sister was being taken care of. She only hoped that whoever was guarding her kept their hands to themselves. She knew that Megatron had ordered her to be left alone but how well could he keep an eye on this group of lunatics and psychopaths?

The doors opened and she stood, subspacing the rest of the energon.

"What seems to be the problem?" Finally seeing the mechs who had entered she felt her shoulders relax slightly and she calmed. Thundercracker blinked at her and she got the distinct feeling he was watching her carefully. Beside him was another Seeker who looked at her, openly curious.

"I wrenched my knee and Skywarp is having a hard time with his hand." Nodding she motioned at the table and the Seeker sat down with little ceremony. Grabbing her tools she went to work as the other Seeker watched her.

"So, you're the femme medic I've been hearing about." She glanced back at the other Seeker as he hopped up onto another table and swung his legs, not seeming the type to like sitting still.

"My name is Siren, I'm a Surgeon, not a Medic." She corrected him as she continued to work on the blue jet's knee. The purple Seeker behind her hummed though didn't seem offended by her correction. It was almost pleasant in her medical bay for once.

"I'm done here. Try walking on it and see how it feels." Leaving Thundercracker she walked over to the Seeker and looked between his hands. Skywarp handed her the one that wasn't working and she almost hissed in annoyance. He was as banged up as Thundercracker had been before he showed up in the medbay the first time. She didn't notice the look that passed between the two Seekers as she started working on his hand.

Although she finished what had initially brought the second Seeker into her medbay she couldn't stop once she started and with very little prompting, and a strange smirk that she didn't know what to think about, she had Skywarp recharging on the table as she worked. Thundercracker, sitting somewhere behind her, had decided not to leave his comrade's side and instead sat quietly as Siren worked. By the time she was finished she was quite pleased with herself. Skywarp was quick to come out of recharge and the look of happy surprise on his face pleased her to no end.

"How do you feel?" Jumping off the table he started moving his joints and went over to his trine mate to babble excitedly.

"I don't even remember the last time I felt like this!" Feeling endeared by his statement she chuckled and smiled at him. Thundercracker's eye ridges came down slightly in what might have been a frown and she glanced at him in confusion. Surely he wasn't upset that his trine mate was fixed? He had been the one to bring him in the first place and had not complained while she worked. Something told her that wasn't the reason for his look.

"We have patrol, let's go Skywarp." Shrugging the purple Seeker headed out the door. Thundercracker gave her a slight bob of the head before he too was gone. Siren felt confused and sighed as she cleaned up the mess that had been made. She had barely enough time to tidy up before another rowdy and monstrous mech invaded her medbay, demanding he be fixed. Squaring her shoulders she did her best impression of her Father when he was not pleased by someone and got to work.

[…]

Monitoring the many security cameras, comm channels, and even a processor or two the third in command of the Decepticons felt a tinge of annoyance in his spark. Within the first two days at least five mechs had tried to interfere with the prisoner he had been given to guard by Lord Megatron himself. Tuning his mind to the femme in the brig he was pleased to see that she was taking her captivity well. Or at least as well as could be expected of a prisoner. Switching through more security footage and comm channels Soundwave felt the prickle of something at the edge of his senses and stopped momentarily to give it some of his attention. Was that… music?

Turning in his chair the ultramarine mech flicked through comm channels effortlessly but found nothing of note. Even touching the edge of the other Decepticons thoughts he found no trace of the sound. Slightly confused, though it did not show on his face, he glanced over the monitors again and stopped when his eyes landed on the pale blue femme. Standing in the middle of her cell, optics alight, her mouth was moving as if she were speaking to someone. Tapping into the channel his audio sensors were finally able to discern the faint sound as singing. Stunned that anyone, let alone a prisoner, would be singing inside the Nemesis of all places he listened for a few moments. So far he had never had a reason to visit the prisoner. Whoever was in charge of guarding their new surgeon usually took the femme from the cell to the medbay and back, meaning he never had to do anything but monitor the situation from the communications room. Considering the odd circumstances he decided it might be prudent to see the situation with his own optics. Getting up from his seat he ordered the mech on duty to watch the monitors and headed down the many halls of the great Decepticon command ship.

Coming down the hall toward the brig he passed the guard on duty and noticed that the mech was recharging, which was probably the reason the femme felt safe enough to sing in the first place. Rather than disturb the mech he passed by unnoticed and stuck to the shadows. He could hear the singing first hand now. Inside his chest his spark began to tremble, making him frown inwardly. Finally able to see her he stopped, keeping still and making no sound as he listened to her sing. Brushing against her thoughts he felt her fear, uncertainty, sadness, and even guilt at her sister's servitude. Yet she was filled with a sense of inner calm, hope, and certainty. Certainty that her sister would be alright and that they would both be fine. To be honest it confused him greatly.

Once she finally stopped singing it was as if some spell had been broken. Her shoulders drooped as she came back to herself, looking dejected and at a loss. A need to reach out to her, to comfort her, sprang into being and he froze, not understanding.

"I know you're there…" She suddenly half whispered through the bars. Raising her head she pointedly stare at his hiding place and he was surprised she had noticed his presence. Stepping into the light he inclined his head to her politely, though he kept well back and didn't speak. They stared at each other a moment, as if she were waiting for him to speak, before she tilted her head slightly and regarded him with her violet optics.

"Well you're different." She said in a very polite, yet obviously distressed, tone. Fright, confusion, suspicion, and worry poured from her small frame easily. None of her emotions were hidden and they all came rushing at him at once. It was as if she were an un-encrypted datapad. Open and so easy to read.

"Is there something you want from me? Her voice became faintly petulant, and her mind reflected the emotion. Soundwave knew he could not stay and speak with her, he had already been away from his station too long. Turning away from the femme in the dungeon he headed back down the hall, feeling her confusion behind him the whole way.

[…]

In the cold, vast, expanse of space more escape pods floated in the abyss. Civilians and supplies heading to earth for safety following the command beacon. Among them, locked in stasis like all the rest, a dark green Cybertronian slept, waiting to be reunited with their lord and master.


	5. Repairs

Storming angrily down the halls of the Nemesis, back ramrod straight and fists clenched at his sides, Starscream, Air Commander and terror of the skies, hissed under his breath. How was it that both of his trine mates were beginning to outperform him? During their patrols both had been able to pull off better maneuvers, tighter turns, and more elaborate attack patterns. Grinding his teeth he glared at anyone who got in his way as he headed deeper into the submerged base.

"…it's like it was never chopped off to begin with." Two low ranking soldiers, thugs with little in the way of processing power, stood just inside one of the supply rooms, clearly slacking off as they gossiped. The speaker held up his arm and flexed it for the other, who looked at him sceptically. Starscream rounded on them, snapping at them to get back to work, before he continued down the hall. Everywhere he looked mechs that had been beaten and broken were looking almost as good as new and it was making him anxious. Some of them had been absolute powerhouses at the beginning of the war and he did not want them to gain the upper hand against him. At the moment he was having an argument with himself over whether or not to visit the surgeon they had recently acquired. On the one hand his performance would be at it's peak again, maybe he would even get the upper hand against Megatron. On the other hand he might be seen as weak, needing to go to the medical bay. Biting his lip he bounced between the pros and cons, becoming increasingly more frustrated the longer his mind remained stuck in the loop. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to think clearly and concisely, able to improvise plans immediately on the fly.

"There you are." Stopping his pacing, which he hadn't realized he was doing, he looked up at his second in confusion. Behind him Skywarp materialized in a swirl of purple energy and latched onto his arm.

"Get off of me!" He snapped, trying to pull his arm away from his oft excitable trine mate. Skywarp gave him an almost feral grin as Thundercracker came forward and grabbed him by the other arm. Before he could raise any form of protest he felt the familiar sensation of Skywarp's teleportation activating as they vanished and reappeared somewhere new. Gasping in a breath as the two released him he glanced around the room, wary for a prank, before glaring acerbically at them.

"…" In a corner of the medical bay the femme stood stiffly, looking at the three of them in surprise. Apparently she had never seen his trine mate's ability before. She eyed them warily before seeming to relax when none of them made an aggressive move. Coming forward slowly she gave them a curt nod.

"What can I help you with?" She asked in a strained yet professional tone. Clearly she remembered him from her awakening.

"Do what you did for us, but for him." Skywarp said, wholly unashamed of his actions in bringing him there. The surgeon looked him over for a moment before motioning him toward one of the examination tables. Growling he turned to leave but was stopped by his trine.

i'Come on Starscream, you need this.'/i He wanted to protest, to tell them he was fine, but he could feel their concern for him and faltered. Feeling more of their emotions and thoughts over the trine bond he finally caved.

"Fine." He snapped, turning in place and striding over to the examination table. The surgeon, Siren she'd said her name was, came over and began a cursory inspection before she sent a code to him. Unlike others on board the Nemesis he understood the medical codes and knew what they were for. Looking to his trine mates, who didn't seem to be leaving any time soon, he allowed the code access to his systems and soon the world went black.

[…]

Once the Seeker was out she quickly plugged herself in and began work on diagnostics. After a couple of moments she was glad she had knocked him out first as she turned wide, worried, eyes to his trine mates. Even though she knew she should say nothing, even though she knew she should just do her work because worrying the mech's trine mates could cause trouble, she couldn't help but to open her mouth.

"How is he still online?" Siren half whispered, more information pouring in even as she was looking over at the other two. They seemed at a loss for words, sharing a worried look.

"What do you mean?" Thundercracker asked her seriously.

"I mean how is he still functioning? He shouldn't even be able to move. Starscream must have a pit's worth of stubbornness to not have deactivated in this state." Both looked absolutely horrified but waved her to go on. So she did. She started to name some of the more glaring issues even as she turned back around to start working on the mech in question. Even if he was a Decepticon she felt she had to do her best to save him. Especially when the two behind her looked so anxious and forlorn.

"I'll get him back in working order. Just tell anyone who comes in that if it isn't an emergency they can come back later." Glancing back at them she could see the serious expressions on their faces as they left through the medbay doors. She had no doubt that anyone who came to the medbay would be turned away by two fierce Vosnian warriors.

Getting back to the task at hand she took a couple of calming breaths before she started the long process of getting the mech beneath her hands back in working order. Dents and kinked wires were the least of his problems as she had to work on everything from loose screws to replacing burnt out wires. The inside of his head was the most damaged, which made her wonder how many times he'd taken a blow to the head and if anyone had ever tried to fix him. Then again with Hook as their only 'medical personnel' she could understand not wanting anyone near his processor. Time seemed to have stopped in her medbay as she focused all of her attention on Starscream. Carefully rebuilding him from the inside out. By the time she was done she had no clue how much time had passed.

Heading outside as she wiped her hands clean of fluids she nodded to the two Seekers, who looked like she felt; haggard. Motioning for them to come inside, knowing Starscream would feel better having his trine mates nearby when he was freed from the forced recharge, she walked over to the table and used the activation codes to wake up her latest patient.

[…]

Slowly his optics came online as he was brought back from the inky blackness. Nodding to him curtly the surgeon moved out of his line of sight, giving him room to sit up from the table.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, taking an extra half step back in case he wished to place his feet on the floor.

"…I feel much bet-!?" Growling he answered her question but stalled as his voice came out in a smooth alto. Gone was the raspy screech that he'd used since his voice had been damaged in this Primus cursed war. But that wasn't the only change. It took a moment or two to come out of the boot-up process but when he did it was as if the world around him was more clear than he could remember it being for a very long time. Thinking on the change his mind came up with all kinds of excellent reasons for this stark difference and he felt a mess of emotions run through him.

"Your work is… appreciated… Surgeon. If I have any issues I will not hesitate to inform you. For now I must return to my station. I am sure that our Lord will not be pleased to find us missing from our shifts." The guilty looks on his trine mates faces said it all. Although he was certain that Soundwave knew where they were, and why, Starscream knew that Megatron would be at the least indignant and at the most absolutely livid. The master he had chosen to serve was not the same mech who had once commanded them for the greater good of Cybertron. Clamping down on those thoughts, in case Megatron's pet telepath was listening in, he turned his attention back to the room.

::Starscream. Lord Megatron wishes for your team to investigate another signal.:: Speaking of the smelter cursed telepath.

::Acknowledged. I will be there shortly.:: Meticulously he went through his own thoughts and was careful to hide what he felt beneath layers and layers of other information, hoping that Soundwave would either not care enough to dig deeper or not have the time to. Turning to his two trine mates he stood and gave them a confident smirk, one eye ridge raised in question. Immediately he could see their bodies relax as they returned the smirk with smiles of their own. Over their bond he sent encouragement and reassurances.

'It's good to have you back.' Thundercracker remarked, relief and gratitude radiating from his second. Suddenly Starscream was aware of just how strained his bond had become with his trine mates, how he'd neglected it in his crazed need to become the leader of the Decepticons without even remembering why he wanted the position in the first place. Guilt and regret rippled through the trine bonds and he almost stumbled under the weight of their combined acceptance, brotherly affection, and understanding. He had not been right at the time, he had been damaged. But now they were ecstatic to see him back in perfect health.

Once again looking over at the surgeon he gave her a half bow before he and his trine left the medbay. He had no idea how long he had been out but he was sure that Megatron was going to blow his top. The mech was a megalomaniac obsessed with both power and control. It never took much to get on his bad side. He only hoped that any punishment he received did not undo the hard work the surgeon had put into fixing him.

[…]

"Sir, we have incoming. This time there's three of them." Link turned to look at Blaster from behind one of the consoles in the communications hub of the rapidly expanding Autobot City. Cipher caught his optics for a moment before he turned his attention back to the monitors. It was nice of the Autobots to allow them to work, if only to distract them from the heavy feelings of loss they both shared.

"Still not used to that... What's the ETA?" Link looked back at the screen, running through calculations as Blaster came closer to take a look.

"They should be arriving in five earth hours." Cipher said from his station. Such a strange system for telling time, he thought to himself.

"I'll alert command. You mechs do good work." The compliment made the twins flush slightly in surprise, Link more than Cipher.

"It's what we were trained to do." His black counterpart said smoothly. Link rolled his optics and set about watching the descent of the new arrivals.

A few hours later Link was standing with the Autobots at the newest drop zone. The gun in his hand felt awkward and bulky. Their Creator-Caretaker had been sure to teach them how to use the weapon, and Azure only reinforced the training later, but he knew he was no warrior build. Smaller by a half than the main bulk of the other mechs, he and his twin were small and lithe. Built to give and receive signals, not shoot at enemy mechs.

i'You'll be alright. I'm here.'/i Shaking himself he tried to focus on the task at hand.

i'Remember, this plan hinges on you and I keeping the lines of communication open. So don't get caught.'/i Although his brother's words were harsh Link could sense his apprehension and worry. Sending encouragement back through their bond he focused on the new channels he'd created earlier for the mission and checked them for any distortion. From what they had been told about Soundwave the mech was a master at hacking comms. They only hoped that their special bond and specific build would help evade Soundwave long enough to fight off the Decepticons and evacuate the civilians.

::You ready mechling?:: Nearly jumping at the voice that cut into his thoughts he blushed faintly in embarrassment before sending an affirmative through the channel.

::The channels are set, firewalls are up, and encryption ready to go. We'll be bouncing everything between us to make it harder to pinpoint. Hopefully it's enough.:: It was all they could do.

A shot rang out and he ducked instinctively. It looked like they had been right to arrive at the drop zone early. The Decepticons swarmed over a nearby rocky outcropping, blasters firing before they were even clear. Hiding behind some terrain he kept his eyes on the battlefield, careful to stay behind cover at all times. Messages from Command came to him and bounced to whoever needed to hear it. Earlier he was told there was an Earth equivalent. Something called a switchboard operator.

Over time the battle raged on and the air was filled with the sound of venting air, gunshots, and furious roaring between the two warring factions. Energon spilled across the dirt as the mechs clashed, a whirl of energy weapons and hand to hand combat. So far the battle wasn't looking very good from where he was standing. Prowl didn't think so either but by now their long range comms were blocked. Sending along the SIC's orders through the twin bond he felt an echoing of emotion almost immediately. Relief, back-up was already on the way.

::Looks like you could use a little air support.:: Looking up at the sky he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as the sound of three Eurofighter Typhoon jets soared overhead.

::That was quick.:: An amused chuckle slid across his comm to the mechs he was in contact with at the time. Seeing the bright blue and dull grey jets fly by he frowned. Where had the third gone? Blaster fire whizzed over his head and he had to dodge out of the way of another. His hiding place wasn't very safe anymore. He had to find more cover.

::You need to warn everyone to retreat.:: Link froze, hearing the Seeker's voice again. The order had not come from someone on the chain of command, so he was unsure what to do.

::Trust me!:: She said, her voice filled with urgency. Deciding that it must be important he forwarded her message to the others and watched them fall back in order. The Decepticons, on the other hand, looked gleeful that they were pushing their enemies back and went on the offensive, following the retreating Autobots.

Just what kind of manoeuvre were they planning?


End file.
